Characteristics of MaterialsAmerican Chemical SocietyWhat makes diapers absorbent? Is peanut butter stickier than syrup or jelly? Strong, stretchy, sticky, or sweet—everything around us has special properties which make them unique. See if you can identify and compare the characteristics of materials.

Drinking Bird (GCMP)David M. WhisnantDrinking Bird: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". The drinking bird's felt-covered head dips into the beaker of water as it bobs up and down. The tube goes from the bottom of the body to its head. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Water / Water Chemistry

Electrolisis 1 (GCMP)David M. WhisnantElectrolisis of Water #1: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". In this problem we will contrast the electrolysis of water with boiling. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Electrochemistry |

Water / Water Chemistry

Electrolisis 2 (GCMP)David M. WhisnantElectrolisis of Water #2: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". In this problem we will contrast the electrolysis of water with boiling. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Electrochemistry |

Water / Water Chemistry

Electrolisis 3 (GCMP)David M. WhisnantElectrolisis of Water #3: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". In this problem we will contrast the electrolysis of water with boiling. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Electrochemistry |

Water / Water Chemistry

Water #1 (GCMP)David M. WhisnantWater #1: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". Isotopes are forms of the same element composed of atoms that have different numbers of neutrons. In this problem we will begin by observing the properties of water containing two isotopes of hydrogen. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Water / Water Chemistry

Water #2 (GCMP)David M. WhisnantWater #2: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". Isotopes are forms of the same element composed of atoms that have different numbers of neutrons. In this problem we will begin by observing the properties of water containing two isotopes of hydrogen. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Water / Water Chemistry

Water and Its ElementsVolume 03, issue 02 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Steam (GCMP)David M. WhisnantSteam: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". We observe two videos of steam produced by boiling water. The steam is channeled through a copper coil which will be heated. General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Water / Water Chemistry |

Phases / Phase Transitions / Diagrams

Molecular Model of ZinconWilliam F. ColemanThe Featured Molecules this month are the tautomeric forms of the colorimetric reagent zincon, used in the paper by Maria Mar Areco, Maria dos Santos Afonso, and Erika Valdman on the bioabsorption of zinc, and by extension other metal ions, by seaweed. The structures presented have been calculated at the DFT/6-31G(d) level using the B3LYP functional. These structures represent energy minima, but not necessarily global minima. The structures could be used as an introduction to the concept of tautomerism, with students being asked to develop a definition of the term based on their observations of the difference(s) in linkage in the two forms. An intramolecular hydrogen bond is found in each structure, and introductory chemistry students could be encouraged to look for these structural features in molecules that are more complex than those typically encountered to introduce hydrogen bonding. More advanced students could use computational techniques to explore the energy differences between the two forms, and compare those differences to the ones observed between more traditional keto/enol examples.

Marie Maynard DalyBarbara A. BurkeThis short biographical "snapshot" provides basic information about the person's chemical work, gender, ethnicity, and cultural background. A list of references is given along with additional WWW sites to further your exploration into the life and work of this chemist.

Minorities in Chemistry |

Water / Water Chemistry |

Enrichment / Review Materials

Chemical & Physical ChangeAmerican Chemical SocietyEverything you see and touch has the ability to change. Sometimes substances change to form new substances. This is called a chemical change. Other times substances change but keep the same identity. This is called a physical change. Try these activities to learn more about chemical and physical change.

Acids / Bases |

Reactions |

Water / Water Chemistry |

Solutions / Solvents |

Consumer Chemistry

Toys-ACS Science for KidsAmerican Chemical SocietyACS Science for Kids activities explore how chemistry can be used to make toys.

Gases |

Polymerization |

Water / Water Chemistry |

Physical Properties |

Lipids |

Reactions

Introduction of Aquatic Chemistry in General Chemistry Curriculum;Spreadsheet Calculation ApproachesChulsung KimFundamental aquatic chemistry concepts may be introduced in general chemistry classes by computing ionization fractions and buffer intensity of aqueous phase carbonate systems. This Excel spreadsheet may used to build graphic presentations of a titration curve, distribution diagram, and buffer intensity as a function of pH. Accompanying activities are designed to enhance the concepts of acid-base equilibrium through exploring the relationship between pKa/pKb, pH of the solution, ionization fractions, and buffer intensity, and to exercise students graphing skills.

Acids / Bases |

Aqueous Solution Chemistry |

pH |

Titration / Volumetric Analysis |

Water / Water Chemistry |

Equilibrium

Phlogiston (GCMP)David M. WhisnantPhlogiston: this is a resource in the collection "General Chemistry Multimedia Problems". In this problem we will think back to the last half of the 18th century when modern chemistry was beginning to take place. One of the major problems occupying chemists at the time was combustion. The dominant theory of combustion in the mid-18th century involved a substance called "phlogiston." General Chemistry Multimedia Problems ask students questions about experiments they see presented using videos and images. The questions asked apply concepts from different parts of an introductory course, encouraging students to decompartmentalize the material.

Applications of Chemistry

The Behavior of MaterialsVolume 04, issue 02 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Applications of Chemistry

Chemistry and WarfareVolume 04, issue 09 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Applications of Chemistry

Achievements of Young ChemistsVolume 04, issue 34 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Applications of Chemistry

Special Chemistry Club NumberVolume 05, issue 02 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Meg A. Mole Future ChemistAmerican Chemical SocietyMeg A. Mole visits different chemists to learn about their jobs. She is always amazed at the variety of things that they do.

Applications of Chemistry

Molecular Models of Polymers Used in Sports EquipmentWilliam F. ColemanIn keeping with the 2008 National Chemistry Week theme of Having a Ball with Chemistry, the Featured Molecules this month are a number of monomers and their associated polymers taken from a paper by Sandy Van Natta and John P. Williams on polymers used in making equipment for a variety of high-impact sports (1). The molecules provide students with an introduction to an important area of applied chemistry and also enable them to examine complex structures using the models they have seen applied to small molecules.It is certainly instructive for students to build small polymer fragments using molecular model kits. Holding a model of n-decane, for example, and twisting it in various ways, provides real insight into the multiplicity of conformations available to supermolecules of polyethylene. Computer-based 3-dimensional structure drawing and visualization programs make it possible to construct large oligomers of known polymers and to begin to explore structural properties of new systems. Two such programs, free for academic use, are DSVisualizer and ArgusLab (2). DSVisualizer includes a useful set of tools for building and viewing structures and a clean geometry option that applies a Dreiding-like force field. ArgusLab adds the ability to perform both molecular mechanics and semi-empirical geometry optimization and to display various molecular surfaces. Using ArgusLab, or a similar program, students can explore the relative energies of various conformations of the substances they have built electronically. Students who are being introduced to molecular modeling and the use of more sophisticated software can easily explore the effects of the modeling and convergence parameters on the stable structures that are found, and can begin to explore the difference between global and local minima on a molecular potential energy surface. Using the conformational search program in HyperChem 7.5 on a tetramer of vinyl chloride (terminated with H; of SRRS stereochemistry; only CCCC torsions varied), approximately half of the 500 structures examined fell within 6 kcal/mol of the lowest energy structure (3). This number would increase significantly if other torsion angles were included.The use of computational software allows us to introduce students in introductory chemistry to the idea of multiple conformations, which is so important in biochemistry and much of organic chemistry. In teaching ideas behind conformational stability care should be taken when attributing conformational stability solely to non-bonded repulsions between peripheral atoms on adjacent carbon atoms. Weinhold and co-workers have recently presented strong evidence that the stability of the staggered conformer of ethane relative to the eclipsed form arises from more favorable interactions of C-H sigma bonding orbitals on adjacent carbons (4). The multiplicity of such interactions could well be responsible for conformational stability in more complex systems. Any discussion of conformational stability should also introduce students to the ultimate conformational problem, the folding of proteins and to the Folding@home project (5).

Polymerization |

Applications of Chemistry

Creative ChemistryVolume 04, issue 15 of a series of leaflets covering subjects of interest to students of elementary chemistry distributed in 1929 - 1932.

Lake StudyDavid M. Whisnant, James A McCormick, Benjamin Fortin, Patrick NutterLake Study for Windows is a two-part simulation designed to involve students with the scientific method. It allows them to collect data, formulate hypotheses, and test the hypotheses with controlled experiments.